Five years before the Nani debacle of 2010, Spurs were also spurned by the referee against Manchester United in a game at Old Trafford. In another tightly contested encounter that finished 0-0, Tottenham thought they had won it when Pedro Mendes' speculative 50 yard effort caught Red Devils goalkeeper Roy Carroll unaware, the No.1 spilling into his own goal before desperately trying to claw the ball clear. Carroll was able to eventually clear his lines but Mendes' shot had clearly crossed the line first, though much to the Lilywhites' dismay, Linesman Rob Lewis ruled that the goal shouldn't stand. Lewis was blasted for his positioning at the time, and eyebrows were raised when he made the all-important call 25 yards from the goal line. Spurs's manager at the time, Martin Jol, moaned:
"We are not talking about the ball being a couple of centimetres or an inch or two over the line, it was a metre inside the goal."
Indeed, it was clear for all to see that the effort should have stood and, importantly, Lewis's decision cost the Londoners what would have been their first win at Old Trafford in 16 years. Seven years after this disappointment, Tottenham did finally defeat United at the Theatre of Dreams, 3-2 in September 2012 - their first victory there in 23 years. They enjoyed another win at Old Trafford on New Year's Day, winning 2-1 on January 1, 2014, marking their second consecutive away win over the champions.